


Sterek/25 - Can't Let Go

by FiccinDylan



Series: Sterek/25 [7]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek has a man bun, Eternal Sterek, Feels, Fluff, Happy Ending, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Sorry Not Sorry, Weddings, adele - 25, calamity of errors, gardener derek, sterek typical angst with a happy ending, sterek/25, vegan cake bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 13:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5376302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiccinDylan/pseuds/FiccinDylan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Anyhow, so you’re paralyzed, so you can’t just go gallivanting off to Seattle, but you’re in love and she’s in love but she’s also in love with the music!  So she has to choose, you see?”  </p><p>Derek nods thoughtfully, “So who does she choose?”</p><p>“Well she chooses you of course, I mean, who wouldn’t?”  Stiles says, the last part trailing out softly.  </p><p>  <i>‘You wouldn’t.</i>’ Derek thinks as he looks up and sees that Stiles has looked away </p><p>aka Derek loves Stiles, but Stiles could never love him so Derek gives him a jacket.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sterek/25 - Can't Let Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [secondstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/secondstar/gifts), [because of man bun](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=because+of+man+bun).



> Be cool with the listening link. I had it removed from like 3 different services, lol! I just want you to hear it. If anyone find a legit embed let me know. This is one of the bonus tracks.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Easy Breezy!

**

*[For Listening Purposes ONLY. Please do not reblog or repost](http://ficcindylan.tumblr.com/post/134738014839/please-be-cool-with-this-dont-reblog-dont-even) * 

* * *

  ** _(Perfect)_**

“So no one has anything to say about how ridiculous this is?” Stiles Stilinski looks at Scott McCall who looks up from his phone and shrugs before looking back at his phone and texting. He looks at Lydia Martin who is drying her nails and then at Jackson Whittemore who is shaking a bottle of polish with one hand and giving Stiles the finger with the other. He bypasses looking at Isaac Lahey (who is noticeably offended) and looks at Liam and Mason sleeping in a little pile on the grass.

After inwardly ‘ _aww…_ ’-ing, Stiles throws up his hands.

“Seriously?”

“Stiles, what?” Derek Hale asks, not because he wants to know, or hasn’t already guessed, but mostly because he knows how relentless Stiles can be if he’s not engaged. Dammit, he hates that he finds it precious, but that’s what happens when you fall in love with a hyperactive spaz.

And make no doubt about it, Derek was in love. Earth shattering, formerly repressed, currently oozing out of his pores in love with Stiles Stilinski. The scrawny, gawky teenager who’s saved his life more times then he can count at this point. His saving grace that he can never quite seem to treat right. Hence, why they’re not together.

Derek wishes that Stiles could even love someone like him, but he’s too damaged, and that damage is still too raw. He’s getting better, he’s starting to repair himself, but he doesn’t expect Stiles to wait. Even though he would wait until the ends of the earth for Stiles.

Derek huffs to himself, he knew he would never need to wait for Stiles. Stiles was perfect.

“I just can’t believe _this_ is being allowed to happen is all” Stiles says before resigning and lying back. He closes his eyes and lets the warm sun bathe over him. Derek wastes no time admiring the view.

The “this” Stiles is referring to was Derek himself. His hair was long enough to pull into a small bun on the top of his head. He’s bulked up some since losing his alpha for Cora and since he hasn’t changed his wardrobe since he’s been back, everything is a little tight.

His beard is longer now with strands of grey, distinguished despite being mostly from stress. He’s got crinkles around his eyes and he’s standing in front of a table tying off tiny planters to give to Kira for her second grade class that she’s shadowing for extra credit.

He’s also wearing an apron that says: _‘Gardening - Like a Moss!’_ on it. Of course it was a gift from Stiles as soon as Stiles found out about the green houses. When he got it, Derek sneered and held it at arm’s length like it was made of rotted coyote carcass.

He loves it. He wears it all the time and Stiles thinks it’s too annoy him, but secretly it makes Derek happy that Stiles would think of him. Would celebrate him coming back. He wasn’t sure his return would be wanted.

After getting Cora settled in South America, Derek came back to Beacon Hills ready to be ignored so he exiled himself. He rebuilt the house and other buildings on the land; and set up several nurseries, clearing land for new plants and trees. His dad had a green thumb and loved gardening. Derek remembers being with his dad in the gardens for hours at a time. When he was young he did nothing but sowing and pulling weeds. As he got older he learned how to trim hedges and eventually graduated to grow difficult blooms like orchids and sprawling hydrangeas.

Now that he was back, he grew so much that he started going to local farmer’s markets. He expanded to small garden vegetables, and even keeps bees for honey. He loves it, even despite the pollen. Growing and caring for the land was something he always shared with his dad and something that gave him great peace of mind. He missed it while he was in New York with Laura and he missed it the first time he came back. He missed a lot of things then. Missed how to be a good leader, an attentive friend. He missed how the never silent Sheriff’s kid got under his skin not because he annoyed him, but because he loved him. Derek would never forgive himself for how he ignored Stiles’ affections towards him. He’ll never forget the glances the two would share as they stalked through the endless woods looking for Boyd and Erica. He’ll never forget the warmth of Stiles’ hand as it rested on his shoulder while they mourned in shock over Boyd’s body.

He’ll never forget the way Stiles looked at him when he left, unsure of when he was coming back. And he’ll never forgive himself for making Stiles feel that way. As much as it hurt him to admit it, Stiles deserved better than Derek.

“I could write a romance novel with on the cover just like this and it’d sell a million copies the first week.” Stiles said, now lying on his side, with his head hoisted up in his hand, watching Derek like he’s some sort of experiment. “You would be in love with a girl who plays in a band and you’d give her a guitar case that said something punny like, ‘ _Turnip the Beet_ ’ and you’d let her go to Seattle to be a star.”

“Does she become a star?” Derek asks, loving the way Stiles face lights up at someone enabling his nonsense.

“Almost! You see, she has to choose between fame and love-”

“Why does she have to choose?”

“Because that’s what makes it dramatic, Derek!” Stiles insists. Derek continues to goad him.

“She can’t be in love with him _and_ be a famous musician?”

“No, he can’t leave Beacon Hills and she can’t go back.” Stiles explains, as though it’s obvious.

“Why not?”

Stiles rolls his eyes, “Because, Der. Her parents know he’s a werewolf and have forbidden their love. One day he’s gardening and he gets his man-bun stuck in some vines which twist his spine and cause him paralysis.”

“A man-bun is just a bun, Stiles. My hair is pulled back in a bun so it doesn’t fall into my face while I’m working.”

“Your Disney Prince hair, while glorious-”

“Thank you,”

“Is going to get you into an ‘ _Incredibles_ ’ cape-style catastrophe one day, mark my words!”

“You think I should cut it?” Derek says as he raises his eyebrows and reaches up.

“No!” Stiles says a little too quickly. Scott looks up briefly from his phone and then quickly back. Stiles clears his throat and then swallows. Derek can’t help but track the movement of his Adam’s apple along his long, column of a neck. “I’m saying for the purposes of this story, but IRL it’s okay.”

“Don’t use internet speak when not on the internet.”

“We’re all on the internet, Derek. All the time.” Stiles says indicating to everyone, everywhere. “Anyhow, so you’re paralyzed, so you can’t just go gallivanting off to Seattle, but you’re in love and she’s in love but she’s also in love with the music! So she has to choose, you see?”

Derek nods thoughtfully, “So who does she choose?”

“Well she chooses you of course, I mean, who wouldn’t?” Stiles says, the last part trailing out softly.

‘ _You wouldn’t._ ’ Derek thinks as he looks up and sees that Stiles has looked away and is fidgeting with his hands. Derek can’t read into that. He knows it’s a false start, there’s no way Stiles is that nostalgic about him.

Derek is about to say something when Stiles clears his throat again,

“Uhh, so yeah, happily ever after. Shit, I should write that down. Hey Jackass, what’s that self publishing website you’re always on?”

“Shut up, _Shitlinski_! It’s for amateur porn and you know it!” Jackson yells and the two quickly descend into their usual round of neanderthalish yet fond insults.

Derek sighs, the moment officially gone, if it was ever there to begin with. In a few years he might be a viable candidate for Stiles, but not yet. Things were getting better though. After a while, Derek opened his house to the pack and caught up with everyone. Scott and Kira are getting serious. Scott likes it because it’s steady. With Allison is was big and a rollercoaster of emotion. They loved and hated each other in the same breath and when she died he was devastated.

Kira is smaller, though no less important. She’s just even keeled and Scott needs that. She’s supportive and very sweet. She and Derek get along really well.

Lydia and Jackson are back on since he came back from England. He’s older now, stronger and even a bit wiser. His bravado got the best of him overseas and he got into some trouble with a local pack. It ended up being a humbling experience and Jackson is better because of it. He’s still an ass, but it’s manageable. He’s learned a lot about being a wolf and though he respects Scott, he’s still loyal to Derek.

Isaac came back from France and lives with Derek. They left on not the best of terms, but Isaac has always been family and slipped back in seamlessly. He’s doing well, he might have a thing going with Danny? Otherwise he keeps to himself, but he’s not withdrawn. Derek watches and dotes over him like a brother.

Mason and Liam are new and Liam is Scott’s beta; they’re young and they’re hungry. Scott is trying to train them and he’s doing okay. Derek helps out where he can.

Stiles… Stiles is still _Stiles_. A few years older, longer hair and he’s got glasses now. He’s still so wild and beautiful with a loud mouth and big brown eyes that slay Derek every time.

That afternoon in Derek’s yard becomes a staple. Sometimes just a few of the pack will be over, sometimes it will be everyone and the grill will be out with music playing through the night. It goes like this through senior year and up until graduation where the pack all say goodbye. Some are staying close and some are traveling to the furthest reaches of the planet.

Stiles got a full ride at Berkeley, and Derek has never been prouder of him.

He gives them all various graduation gifts, and pulls out Stiles’ last. Stiles tears into the box and pulls out a fitted suit jacket. He gapes.

“Dude, this is… wait, is this what those measurements were for? I thought you were outfitting us for superhero costumes!”

“I was, but they ran out of fabric for _‘Dork-man’_ so I scrapped the idea and got you this instead.” Derek deadpans so quickly he can see Stiles’ head spin. He swallows his grin.

“Dude, that was corny and hurtful. I don’t know if I like you in sarcasm mode. Also, this jacket doesn’t explain why you needed my inseam or my idea of a perfect date.” Stiles recovers quickly. Derek knew he would.

“Stiles, shut up and try on the jacket.” he says, turning the boy around and slipping the fabric over his shoulders. It fits him like a glove.

“Derek, this is really nice. It’s literally the nicest thing I’ve ever owned, I’m going to get married in this jacket.” He looks at Derek who is straightening the lapels, “Thank you.”

Derek busies himself with smoothing the fabric as he shrugs casually.

“I know you’ll be taking a lot of important meetings with departmental bigwigs. We gotta get you looking respectable someh-” Stiles grabs his wrist and he and Derek finally make eye contact. Stiles’ eyes are glistening and Derek can barely stand it, but he also can’t look away.

He knows he should get over Stiles, but he can’t let him go. Even this gift has an ulterior motive.

He’s written a letter. Something short and folded into plastic before being sewn into the seam of the jacket. It’s a short missive, just something saying how he’s preparing himself to be what Stiles needs; to be someone he could possibly want. That he loves him more than anything, that he’ll move heaven and earth just to make him happy. That it’s not fair of him to ask Stiles to wait, but if he could, he would make it worth it.

“That was really cool of you to get Stiles that jacket.” Scott interrupts. Derek can’t tell if he’s grateful or upset, but he takes a step back and shrugs again.

“He deserves it, I’m really proud of everyone here and I wish you luck moving forward.” Derek holds up his beer and everyone joins in, cheering and getting back to the festivities. Derek looks back over to Stiles who is carefully putting the jacket back in its box. Scott has a hand on his back and gives it two pats when Stiles winks at him and leaves to put the box into his Jeep.

Derek barely sees him for the next two years.

***

Stiles is going to graduate in two years if it kills him. And it might. He gets to school and takes an insane amount of credit hours per semester, adding on summer school and working on campus during holiday breaks. He’s home like clockwork for two days once a month to check in on his dad and he talks to the pack via skype when he can.

He sees Derek sometimes in the background of their chats. He wants to talk to Derek alone. He knows he could facetime him, but he’s afraid that if he does he won’t know what to say. Well, that’s not entirely true. He knows what he wants to say.

He wants to tell Derek that he loves him. That he’s been in love with him since he was sixteen and he understands that he’s still just a kid and there’s no possible way Derek could ever love him back. He wants to tell him that from the moment Derek yelled at him and Scott about being on private property, Stiles has been gone on him. He wants to tell Derek that he’s sorry he was such a brat, that he didn’t understand his feelings at the time and he masked them in sarcasm and acerbic wit. That he still does. He wants to see if there’s any possible way that Derek could maybe… just maybe. He wants to say all of that to Derek.

He just doesn’t know if he can.

Stiles thinks about the jacket. Derek got everyone nice gifts, but the jacket… it was different, right? It was special. Stiles got a temperature controlled storage locker near campus for it. He convinced himself it was for other things too, and he’s put other things in there, but mainly it’s the jacket. It’s too nice to actually wear anywhere, not that he’d want to wear it anywhere without Derek.

He’s gotta get over Derek. He’s trying to graduate in two years so he can get back to him, and it’s crazy because back to what? Friendship? What is that even? Can Stiles stand to be that when he wants to also be so much more? To be Derek’s everything?

He can’t just stand around while Derek has a fucking man bun and makes friends with fucking bees! He wants to grab his man bun while he makes Derek lick honey off of his nipples. Good people don’t have these thoughts! Derek will think he’s a freak. Derek is a good guy, he grows veggies and gathers honey and helps Mrs. Tatters with her begonias. Stiles is just a scrawny kid who talks too much. It’s too much, it won’t fit, it’d be too epic and Scott told him that epic things don’t last. They burn out.

Stiles can’t stand the thought of him and Derek burning out. He needs something easy, something uncomplicated, something nice and sweet.

He meets Carrie.

Carrie? Carrie is _fucking_ awesome! She kicks Stiles’ ass in _Mariokart_ and then gives him some to make up for it. They go on short dates to arcades and late night diners or school baseball games. On their anniversary they drink beer and study for finals in the library. She gives him a handjob in the stacks and he fingers her in the listening booth. The go home to their separate dorms because Carrie has a paper to finish and Stiles has notes to memorize for a presentation.

She’s just as busy as he is, trying to breeze through undergrad so she can fast track her Masters and then Doctorates. She’s not epic and it works. Stiles doesn’t pine for her when she’s not around so he can get shit done. When she is around she doesn’t act jealous or clingy. They hang out like buds, sex buds, and it’s easy.

She’s perfect for him, and he loves her so when she asks if he wants to get married he shrugs and says, “Yeah, sure! Cool!”

They call Scott and he’s so happy he starts to blubber a bit. He’s toned down, but he’s still a romantic. Scott wants to throw an engagement party at Derek’s, but Stiles sputters and shakes his head.

“Dude, there’s no time and we weren’t planning for anything big. It’s gonna be a couple of weeks after grad and we’ll probably just go to the justice of the peace.” Stiles explains, trying to coyly see if Derek is in the room.

Scott balks.

“Bro! Weddings are joyous occasions! This isn’t even up for discussion, you’re getting a wedding! You _want_ a wedding! Carrie, help me out!” Scott pleads, stretching his hands out to the computer screen towards Carrie who just shrugs.

“I’m cool with whatever.” She says casually. That’s why Stiles likes her… loves her even. She’s casual, she’ll be good for him.

Scott is not so impressed, “Derek, talk some sense into them!” Stiles’ head snaps towards the screen where Derek is standing just beside Scott. The sun illuminates his eyes and Stiles can see the goldenrod specks in the seafoam green surrounding his pupils.

“I always thought you had more of a flare for the romantic, Stiles?” Derek says, hiding something behind his grin.

‘ _I would be with you,_ ’ Stiles thinks fondly. He perks up quickly.

“Carrie and I are low maintenance, but if you wanna put together a thing, that could be cool.”

“A thing?! A _thing_?! You’re getting a fucking wedding, Stiles, now shut up and let me handle this.” Stiles laughs as Scott threatens him.

Carries suggests a little church close to her parents and about an hour away from Beacon Hills. She mentions there’s a little garden next door where they can have the reception. Stiles grins and nods; cool, it’ll be breezy.

“I’ll provide the flowers,” Derek offers. “It’ll be your wedding gift.” Stiles smiles secretly as Carrie and Scott begin mapping out details.

***

The day of the wedding is here and everything is fine; cool and breezy.

Except for how it’s not, _not at all_.

The “little” church is a one room building with chairs sat out on linoleum and a rickety podium.

“Huh, I haven’t been here since I was six, but I remember this being bigger.” Carrie muses with rollers in her hair. Stiles looks at her oddly.

“Uhh, I’m not supposed to be seeing you, am I?” He asks, only mildly concerned. He’s more concerned with why she’s standing in the sanctuary in a bra and half slip.

“My dress ripped, Lydia is fixing it, but there’s gonna be a delay.” She shrugs and kisses Stiles on the cheek before walking back into the pastor’s office which is doubling as her changing room. Stiles is set up in the bathroom. His pants are hanging over one of the stalls.

It’s easy, breezy even.

Except again… it’s totally not.

The “garden” next to the church is actually an overgrown cemetery and Stiles would feel some kind of way about setting tables over the headstones if not for the fact that it was raining cats and dogs.

“Heyyyy buddy.” Scott says as he walks slowly into the bathroom. He’s sheepish as he rubs the back of his head. “So… the garden got flooded, which is really creepy, we’re at the bottom of a huge hill, why would they put a cemetery there?”

Scott’s stalling and Stiles motions for him to continue.

“Oh, so anyway, we’re going to have to move some of the tables inside, and since there’s really no room here and the truck already left, they’ll have to go in the sanctuary. We’re going to put your cake behind the podium.”

Stiles nods before ducking his head and Scott sighs, turning and leaving. He pops his head back in a minute later.

“Scratch that about the cake. It fell into the mud while they were trying to bring it in. We’re going to go by the store and see if we can rustle something up.”

“Scott, no,” Stiles says as he rubs the bridge of his nose, “Dude, we’ll just like, go to a diner and get some pie after. It’s fine, it’s…”

“On the plus side,” Scott shrugs, “the flowers are gorgeous.”

And they really were. Colorful petunias and begonias spread in tasteful bouquets throughout. Derek made Stiles a special boutonniere, a single red orange calla lily with hypericum and bear grass. It was lovely and would go splendidly with his jacket.

“Speaking of which, where is he?” Stiles asks, knowing that Scott knows exactly who he’s referring to. Scott fidgets a bit, clearly hiding something.

“Uhh, I don’t know. After he dropped the flowers off this morning he left. Maybe he’s having trouble getting back in the rain?”

Stiles nods, and then instantly deflates.

“Fuck, Scott, what the fuck is going on today?!” He flails his arms into the air and Scott stands, letting him vent.

“Everything is falling apart, is this a sign? Do you think it means something? Is it just jitters? I’m not supposed to have jitters, this is supposed to be easy breezy specifically so I wouldn’t have fucking jitters!” Stiles yells. Scott pulls out a water bottle and hands it to Stiles.

“Dude, definitely jitters, right? You love Carrie, you two are great together!”

“I love her, she’s one of my best friends, of course I love her.”

“Oh, shit. Stiles-”

“I gotta get over him.”

Stiles’ face burns with red as the silence chokes out the room. Scott opens his mouth a few times before finally settling on something to say.

“Stiles, you’re overthinking this, okay? You and Carrie are sweet, you’ll work out and you’ll be good together. No muss, no fuss, no drama. All of this shouldn’t matter if you love her, right? This is temporary, but what you and Carrie have is forever.”

“Oh my god.” Stiles blanches and stares at Scott wide-eyed. Scott looks at him incredulously.

“Bro! Seriously? You didn’t consider this at all when you said yes? What did you think marriage was gonna be? Keg stands and video game marathons in between sex?”

Stiles looks guiltily at Scott and shrugs, “Yeah, kinda.”

Scott is about to protest, but starts nodding his head.

“Yeah, bro. Honestly with Carrie I can see it being that way.” The two chuckle in the brief moment of peace and Stiles leans against the counter.

“Do you think I’ll ever get over him?”

“Stiles, to be perfectly honest, I still don’t get how you went this long without getting under him.” Scott says as Stiles huffs out a laugh. Stiles knows Scott doesn’t understand why that would never be an option. Sometimes Stiles doesn’t understand it himself.

“I don’t know, Stiles. I don’t think I’ll ever really get over Ally, but I have Kira now, you know?”

Stiles nods thoughtfully, “Yeah, but Allison is gone now, sorry buddy. But Derek… he’s still _here_. His flowers are the only thing that haven’t gone wrong. I’m going to be wearing his jacket for fuckssake!”

Scott looks around the small room.

“Where is it?”

“It had to get taken out a little, I actually managed to gain some muscle while I was gone.”

“Nice, bro!” Scott says, giving his bestie a high five. Stiles can’t help but blush a little.

“Dad should be here with it any minute. Is it too much? Getting married in it? I feel like it’s going to help me, like a sort of armour or protection, but maybe it’s too much? Is it cruel? Part of me feels like it’s cruel.”

“To Carrie or to you?” Scott asks, watching Stiles carefully for the real answer in his eyes and not the masked one that will come from his lips.

“Both?” says his mouth, but his eyes scream, ‘ _Derek_ ’.

Scott reaches out and squeezes Stiles’ hand.

“You’re going to be okay.”

***

The sheriff comes in with the jacket and grabs Scott so Stiles can get dressed. He pulls the jacket over his shoulders and looks at his reflection in the mirror. He looks so handsome and adult and it’s so overwhelming it nearly bowls him over.

Nearly, but he’s a grown up now, and he’s got to start being sensible. He doesn’t have time for pining and whirlwind dramatic romances that leave him breathless, no matter how much he may want it. He doesn’t have time for petty arguments that descend into feverish fucking and he doesn’t have time for hours of afterglow or lazy sunday mornings in bed being completely encapsulated by the one you love.

He had to get married, get on with his career, maybe have some kids, whatever. It’s easy, it’s breezy.

He reaches into his pocket and feels something. He pulls out the ring, Carrie’s mom must have slipped it in there when she saw his dad with the jacket. He’ll have to remember to give it to Scott to hold.

It’s a loaner from Carrie’s mom, their something borrowed until Stiles could afford a real ring, if he ever did. Carrie didn’t seem too concerned.

Stiles sighs and puts the ring in his breast pocket, giving it a pat for good luck..

***

Derek sits at his table with his keys in his hand. He’s in his suit and his hair is down and wavy and his beard is trimmed and he’s sitting at his table with his keys in his hand.

He loves Stiles and wants to support him, but can he really sit there while he loses the love of his life. He knows that he’s basically already lost him, maybe never had him, but he thinks maybe as long as he’s not tied down, maybe there’s a chance that he found-

His phone buzzes on the table knocking Derek out of his stupor. It’s Scott.

“Scott? Is everything okay?” Derek can hear Lydia yelling at someone about digging her car out of the mud and there better not be cake on her bumper?

“Dude, everything's _not_ okay. It’s been a fucking disaster since you left this morning and now Stiles is gone! He ran, his Jeep is gone and he’s not answering his phone and I don’t know what the fuck is happening!”

Derek scrambles up and grabs his coat, “I’ll be there within the hour, Scott. Keep me updated and call if you find Stiles!” Derek tears open his door and nearly bowls over Stiles who is standing in his doorway panting.

He’s soaked, covered in rain and the bottoms of his pants are splattered with mud. His Jeep is still running and the passenger side is open from where he crawled over the console. He’s catching his breath at Derek gawps at him.

“St- Stiles, wha-?” Derek sputters, but Stiles puts up a finger and smiles wildly. He holds up his other hand and in it is a small square of paper, covered in plastic. He opens his jacket and pulls out the inner pocket showing a busted seam.

Derek hasn’t hung the phone up all the way and he can hear Scott screaming at him from the other side. Derek disconnects the call at looks at Stiles who takes a step closer. He presses a small kiss into the side of Derek’s mouth before looking at him like he’s his north star.

“I think we need to talk.”

*******************

Two Years Later

*******************

Stiles’ second wedding makes his first look like the wedding of the century.

There’s a hurricane in Northern California which makes no damned sense and Stiles blames on the furies they ran out of town the week prior. Either way there’s blowing rain and Derek’s men are busy covering bushes and tenting the nurseries. Derek himself has his sleeves rolled up and his suit pants are covered in mud. He’s running across the yard and his hair is blowing in the wind. He narrowly misses getting beaned by a small tree.

Stiles sips his coffee while watching from inside the loft.

“Romance novel cover, million copies sold in the first week.” He mumbles to himself as Derek cradles an armful of succulents in his muscled embrace.

Stiles grins. Actually, the whole disaster started the night before. Carrie beat him in _Mariokart_ again and then went home with the strippers before they even performed. Scott was sure he knew where the ring was… at least he did before he started drinking at the party and definitely before he realized it was wolfsbane alcohol.

The ring was a family heirloom of Derek’s and it was custom engraved specifically for Stiles. Scott was literally combing the grass outside of Derek and Stiles’ loft, searching for it. Derek threatened to rip his throat out if he didn’t.

The cake… is vegan. Stiles can’t even begin to explain that one. All he knows is his dad is laughing his ass off in revenge since Stiles originally told him he could only have one slice.

The day was an absolute fucking disaster.

“But hey, look on the bright side,” Derek says as he comes behind Stiles, wrapping his arms around him as they both watch the chaos outside. “The flowers are gorgeous.”

Stiles chuckles and turns around, looking at his man.

After they talked that day, they realized that they’d been in love with each other for a long time. Stiles, of course, knew he couldn’t get married, so Derek drove him back to the church where he talked to Carrie. They told everyone that they were postponing the wedding and then discreetly, but amicably broke up.

On their first date, Derek made Stiles dinner and served it under the moonlight in his decorated back yard. It was romantic and intimate and they held each other closely as they danced under the twinkling lights. Derek tried to be chivalrous and kick Stiles out with just a kiss, but Stiles insisted that if they were doing epic he was all in. He spent the night, jumped Derek like he was a livewire and never left.

They argued all the time, but always fell into each other’s arms at the end of the day, kissing away each other’s anger so they could actually discuss whatever had them riled up. Derek was expanding his nurseries and Stiles ached when he was gone too long. He quit his job and became a consultant so he could work from home and he helped Derek in the fields when he could.

He wondered if maybe they needed some space and he was infringing, but Derek was just as lovestruck and crazy as Stiles and loved having him underfoot. They felt better and more complete when they were together and on their second anniversary, Stiles proposed.

And now here they were, watching their wedding fall apart as the town blew around in front of them.

It’s perfect.

“You’re perfect.” Derek says to Stiles just as Stiles says it to Derek. Today will be nothing more than a memory, a fun anecdote to tell their children. It’s temporary, and what Stiles and Derek has is forever.

“I’m glad you think so,” Stiles says with a kiss to Derek’s nose. “Now, come and help me figure out a way to let the wind take this damned cake.”

Derek laughs as Stiles slaps him on the ass.

“It’s not funny, Derek! I think it’s _carrot_! And like, carob? Seriously, what the fuck?”

“Blame one of your crunchy friends, Stiles, I had nothing to do with that. I told you to get cupcakes from Coach’s bakery.”

“My friends aren’t crunchy!” Stiles says as he pushes the cart with the cake towards the window.

“Six of them share names with flowers.” Derek counters as he watches his beloved glide across the room single mindedly.

“Hey, Hyacinth does have the best weed though.”

Derek laughs as he walks over to help Stiles with the window.

“Oh yeah, don’t get me wrong, I love your crunchy friends, just not their idea of cake.” The two push the cake out the window and it immediately goes flying across the yard.

“Whoops.” Stiles says before closing the window. He catches Derek staring at him fondly.

“I can’t believe I get to keep you.” Derek says, grazing his thumb across Stiles’ cheek.

“I’m never letting you go.” Stiles says, curling into Derek’s warm embrace. Derek kisses his temple.

“Let’s go get married.”

“Yeah.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Carrie eventually met Isaac who'd just had his heart broken by Danny and needed something low-key. They're three kids in, living in sin and she still kicks his ass at video games. They couldn't be more in love.
> 
> ps. Sorry if I offended any vegan cake lovers. I know it's good, but you don't make a carob carrot cake for a wedding! C'mon! Uggh, I know, and I'm sorry just... AT LEAST DO CREAM CHEESE ICING OKAY I'M GOING!


End file.
